Ever wonder if you have a vocation to be a Poor Clare?
Is this you?
- Your life is going well, but something is missing. You are a single, Catholic woman who is actively seeking God’s presence in your life. You are serious about your spiritual growth.
- You read and pursue interests in your Catholic faith, but you want to give your faith life more time and effort.
- You are living comfortably with your faith in the Catholic Church and contribute time and energy serving others. However, you continue to be drawn to more prayer and solitude in your life. You are not sure how to respond to your desires.
- You are happy with your work and social life, but you recognize the value of community life. You are not sure how you will fit in with other women in community, but you want to experience the support of a group that shares your spiritual values.
If you answer “yes” to these statements and are in good health, are between the ages of 30-45, and are free of debt and family responsibilities, then perhaps a life as a Poor Clare sister is the answer to your longing. A Poor Clare vocation begins with a woman who has an active faith life, attends Eucharist, and is able to work with others.
Where do you start?
- Exploring the life of a Poor Clare can begin with a simple conversation by letter, phone call or email.
- You will speak to a member of the community to help you discern your call or vocation to the Poor Clare life.
- You will compare the focus of other religious communities with that of the Poor Clare vocation. For example, while religious communities such as those in education, parish ministry, and hospital chaplaincy work actively with people, the Poor Clares are a contemplative order. We serve through our prayers and by praying with those whose desires often lie too deep for words. We strive to connect the heart of the seeker with the heart of God through prayer, petition, and being aware of the presence of God in our lives
- If after these initial conversations the Poor Clare life sounds appealing, then we invite you join us for a longer experience in community.
- In choosing our contemplative life style, we provide you with time and opportunity to see if this life is that for which your heart yearns. If you decide the life fits your needs and desires, you would next write a letter requesting entrance to our Poor Clare community.
- In this application you would tell us more about your faith journey, about yourself, and about what has brought you to your decision to become a Poor Clare.
The next step?
- We invite you to live with us for about a year. This provides you with a time of transition from the familiar to the unfamiliar. You have an opportunity to experience the rhythm of our life, our prayer, and our community.
- After that, you begin a time of deeper discernment, a time we describe as your “novitiate.” During this time, you will focus on developing an intimacy with God, deepening your knowledge of the Scriptures, and learning more about the history and traditions of the Poor Clares.
- Each step in becoming a Poor Clare is important in your process of discovery. A member of the community will accompany you on your exploration. She will be a companion and guide to answer questions and to help you in your discernment process.
- At the end of this Novitiate period, you and the community continue to decide whether you will continue or not. If you decide to continue, you will request a temporary commitment with the Poor Clares.
- If you decide to take a temporary commitment, you will live life as a contemplate sister. This period usually lasts between three to six years.
- At some point during this time period, the question arises for you and the community, “Is this God’s call to me?” Again, through mutual discernment, you will either make life long vows to be a Poor Clare, or you will continue your quest wherever God is calling you.